Books on Tour
Whenever we go away for a trip with the Diamonds, I count myself lucky to have the time away from ‘reality’ to indulge in some quality reading time. Whether it’s sitting at an airport or waiting for the physio, the luxury of being able to dedicate a couple of weeks to immersing myself in a book is one of the bonuses of ‘tour life’.
Just as a preface, my general taste lies mainly in literary fiction but similar to most things (ie my music taste) I like variation. For this reason, I mainly alternate between fiction and non-fiction and I currently have a real interest in books on the subject of economics and commerce brought on by my leave of absence from work.
First up; the classic Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. I bought this (and the Thomas Hardy) book, second hand whilst in Mooloolaba at the beginning of the Quad Series. During my time at school, I had studied quite a few Orwell novels but a conversation I had in Japan recently had reignited my interest in this particular book. I met someone who works at Google in their spam/fake news department and we had a lengthy discussion about how the internet and particular social media/news platforms have created echo chambers. The rise of Trump to power and his particular dislike of free thought make this a topical read. As with most Orwell books, it is a page turner and you cannot help but hope that the book does not follow the path you are dreading it will.
Next, a lovely gift from a friend at work Poor Economics by Abhijit V Banerjee and Esther Duflo. A very literal title for a book that explores the multitude of reasons that ‘poverty traps’ occur but through a range of different economic views. I found this incredibly enlightening and whilst reading I constantly found myself searching for more answers to what is a very complex issue. This was published in 2011, so once I landed in the vortex of the internet for some additional I found it difficult to stomach how little progress has been made in 6 years. I loved the discussions on how the poor prioritise their expenditure as it really does but things in perspective. Plus, the large section on micro finance and the rise of these particular lenders has allowed those poor access to small loans, a luxury most of us would take for granted.
More literature, this time Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. I saw the film adaptation a couple of years ago and loved the headstrong lead female character Bathsheba Everdene (portrayed by the always incredible Carey Mulligan). This is the story of a woman who is pursued by three different men, each of whom offers her something different. It’s the tale of navigating the highs and valleys of love and with morals I believe are still relevant today despite the novel being set in a traditional time period. Like most of Hardy’s work, there is a fair share of tragedy and torment that a reader can expect in his books but it’s easy to read and a classic love story.
Finally, something much closer to home Hands Across the Water by Peter Baines. This passed onto me from my mother after Peter spoke at a work event she attended. It details his time in Thailand after the boxing day tsunami working with and leading various victim identification teams and then his continued involvement with fundraising and then building an orphanage for those left without family post-disaster. Reading about the charity bike ride that is run every year was very enjoyable especially as my best friend’s father took part in it two years ago. From the book, I took away how transcending the ability to lead throughout strenuous circumstances can be and that sometimes compartmentalizing is really the most effective approach when dealing with pressure.
Wow, I clearly like books. Happy reading!
